I Love Alec Baldwin, But I Hate That He’s Hosting ‘SNL’

This weekend, Alec Baldwin will be making Saturday Night Live history, hosting the show for a record 17th time. Baldwin’s invitation to host makes a lot of sense. The former 30 Rock star has been a friend of the historic sketch show, its cast members, and NBC as a whole for years now. Also, Baldwin’s Donald Trump impression has gone a long way in transforming the show from forgettable to one of the best and most relevant comedies currently on the air.

I understand all this, and I’m very happy for Baldwin. However, giving Baldwin a coveted hosting spot this season seems like a wasted opportunity.

I have no doubts that this week’s episode of Saturday Night Live will be a good one. Baldwin’s Trump is only getting better (and more childlike as we saw from last week). Also, between SNL’s portrayal of Steve Bannon as the Grim Reaper and Melissa McCarthy’s brilliant take on press secretary Sean Spicer, the sketch show has proven it’s willing to be more politically relevant and biting than ever. The top-notch sketches Saturday Night Live has produced throughout 2016 and 2017 are a far cry from Trump’s toothless hosting job in 2015. However, at this point in the season, we know what Baldwin will do. We know that most, if not all, of his sketches will be mocking Trump. While this week’s sketches are sure to be hilarious and are sure to infuriate our president (something that SNL seems to take pride in), giving Baldwin a coveted hosting spot this season is taking the privilege from someone else.

I understand why SNL would want Baldwin to host. He’s a beloved power player that’s been unofficially in the comedy club for years, and every season, SNL likes to reserve a couple of spots for hosts like this. There’s also a good chance that the sketch show wants to honor a man who has been such an influential part of its history by giving him a record-breaking spot. And, from a ratings point of view, the episode is sure to do well with a headliner like Baldwin. However, we already had our big host episode when Tom Hanks crushed it in October, and there are only so many hosting spots per season. Though the episode will be incredible and likely packed with fun guest appearances, turning over the mic to a man who’s already a series regular and has already made his opinions very clear seems a bit underwhelming for such a revolutionary season.

Saturday Night Live‘s Season 42 episode “Alec Baldwin” will premiere Saturday, February 11 on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT. You can stream the episode the next day on Hulu.